Explaining the S Sudan peace agreement (13): What are considered ceasefire violations?

'Focus on the Agreement' is a new daily segment broadcast on Radio Tamazuj to explain the contents of the peace deal signed in August 2015 between South Sudan's warring parties.

In our previous issue we discussed the issue of permanent ceasefire. Today we continued to discuss this issue and other related security issues.

According to Chapter II, Article 1 of the peace agreement, the parties should not commit any of the following violations:

They should not impede or delay humanitarian aid.

They should not restrict the free movement of citizens.

They should to harrass or rape women.

They should not recruit or use child soldiers.

They should not disseminate hostile propaganda.

They should not redeploy or move their forces aggressively.

They should not intimidate or attack the civilian population.

They should not intimidate or attack the UN peacekeepers.

They should not intimidate or attack aid workers.

They should not intimidate or attack ceasefire monitors.

Any of these actions would constitute violations of the permanent ceasefire, according to the peace agreement. All soldiers, commanders and allied militias of the warring parties are bound by these requirements.

Additionally, the peace agreement says that the warring parties should meet together to declare the size of their forces, establish assembly areas, demilitarized areas and withdrawal routes. These measures are designed to prevent accidental clashes between forces of the two sides.

The peace agreement also requires the two sides to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of war or other people detained in connection with the conflict, including child soldiers. They must release them through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Tomorrow we will continue this series with more information about the security arrangements.

File photo: Demobilized child soldiers in the village of Gumuruk, Jonglei State, South Sudan. (UNICEF/Mariantonietta Peru)